Adolph Gottlieb Quotes, born in New York City to Czech immigrant parents, was an American abstract expressionist painter, sculptor, and printmaker. A key figure in the New York School, he co-founded The Ten in 1935 and pioneered the Pictograph and Burst painting series, blending surrealism, mythology, and abstraction. His work, influenced by primitive art and contemporaries like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, is held in over 145 museums worldwide. These 15 quotes—sourced from his writings, interviews, speeches, and manifestos—reflect his thoughts on art, creativity, and the artist’s role, capturing his bold and introspective vision.
15 Adolph Gottlieb Quotes
- “To us art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take the risks.” (New York Times manifesto, June 13, 1943, with Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman)
- “In times of violence, personal predilections for niceties of colour and form seem irrelevant. All primitive expression reveals the constant awareness of powerful forces, the immediate presence of terror and fear.” (Radio broadcast with Mark Rothko, 1943, quoted in Abstract Expressionism Creators and Critics, ed. Clifford Ross, 1990)
- “I want to express the utmost intensity of the color, bring out the quality, make it expressive.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I use color in terms of emotional quality, as a vehicle for feeling… feeling is everything I have experienced or thought.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I never use nature as a starting point. I never abstract from nature; I never consciously think of nature when I paint.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “We favor the simple expression of the complex thought. We are for the large shape because it has the impact of the unequivocal.” (New York Times manifesto, June 13, 1943, with Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman)
- “The subject is crucial and only that subject matter is valid which is tragic and timeless.” (Radio broadcast, 1943, quoted in Abstract Expressionism Creators and Critics, ed. Clifford Ross, 1990)
- “Painting is self-discovery. You arrive at the image through the act of painting.” (Quoted in YouTube, Top 8 Quotes of Adolph Gottlieb, 2019)
- “When I work, I’m thinking in terms of purely visual effects and relations, and any verbal equivalent is something that comes afterwards.” (Interview with David Sylvester, BBC, March 1960, published in Living Arts, June 1963)
- “My favorite symbols were those which I didn’t understand.” (Quoted in Art in Theory 1900-1990, ed. C. Harrison and P. Wood, 1992)
- “The true artist always refuses to conform to any standards other than his own.” (Lecture at Forum: The Artist Speaks, Museum of Modern Art, New York, May 5, 1948)
- “To create one’s own world takes courage.” (Quoted in Bookey, September 15, 2023)
- “The painting is complete when it has a life of its own.” (Quoted in Bookey, September 15, 2023)
- “The most potent muse of all is our own inner life.” (Quoted in Bookey, September 15, 2023)
- “Certain people always say we should go back to nature. I notice they never say we should go forward to nature.” (Quoted in Art in Theory 1900-1990, ed. C. Harrison and P. Wood, 1992)
Adolph Gottlieb’s quotes are a vivid blend of artistic courage, emotional depth, and defiance of convention, inspiring you to explore the unknown and express authentic feeling through your craft. Which quote sparks your creative fire? Share it below and keep Gottlieb’s visionary legacy alive!
Emma Thompson
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